Center Riley Sheahan, the Detroit
Red Wings' top pick in the 2010 NHL entry draft, is on the verge of turning pro.

The 20-year-old Sheahan, a junior
at Notre Dame, has left school and signed an amateur tryout contract with the American
Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins – the Red Wings' top-minor league
affiliate.

He is expected to join the Griffins for Thursday's game in San Antonio. In the meantime, he continues contract negotiations with the Red Wings.

"I withdrew from Notre Dame,"
Sheahan said. "It was a great ride. I had a lot of fun. It was just time to
make a decision to move on. Hockey is what I want to do with my life. I think
this is the best step. I had a great time, great coach.

"It was really hard. I made so many
good friendships there. I had a good relationship with the coaching staff.
Everyone was real supportive of my decision. It was tough but at the same time
everyone was understanding."

"Little parts of my game
definitely have been on the up," he said. "Still lots of things I have to do to
improve. It was a great spot for me to develop at Notre Dame. It's just going to go
up from there.

"I still think there's a lot of
room to (improve). Playing a schedule with more games and being on the ice in a
competitive environment, I think that will help my offensive game more. It's
something that I'm looking forward to."

Sheahan stands 6-foot-2 and weighs
212 pounds.

“He’s a big, strong, power forward type of player,’’ Red Wings assistant general manager Jim Nill said when the club drafted Sheahan in 2010. “We took a big guy, finally. None of this, ‘He’s a little weak, but he’ll get stronger.

“We’ll be patient, but he’s advanced physically, which is nice for a young player.’'